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THOMAS E. MCOAUGEAN, OE MO'sOOOW, TENNESSEE.

Letters Patent Nol 76,489, dated April 7, 1868.

' IMPROVED FISH-TRAP.

@ille ,stimule referir tu im ligen tt'ttrr what mit making peut lat tige time.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY OONOEEN:

Be it known that THOMAS'B. McAUGIIAN, of Mosconglin the county `of Fayette, and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and improvdFishTrap; l and I do hereby declare th'at the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make'and use the-saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. This invention relates to a new and improved device for catching or hooking iisb,and is designed .to be used in 'connection with a set-line. I

It is a common practice with fishermen in many localities to. bait hooks and have the lines attached' to a pole or rod sunk into the bed of' the river or creek, or into the bank at the side of the same,.the lines being l visited at suitable intervals, and the sh, if' any be caught,- drawn 'out of. the water, the hooks rcbaited, and

again thro'wnintothe strean or creek. The lfish very frequently succeed in takingv the bait from the hooks of these setlines without being hooked, on accountbfthe absence of any jerk or pull when they seize the bait;

and th'e object of the present invention is to overconac that objection'attending the use of set-lines.

The accompanying drawing represents a side view of my invention. l

A represents an upright, which may be driven or sunk into the bed of a river or creek, or into the bank at the side of' the` same, and B is a horizontal pole, framed in`to the upright, A., and projecting over the river or stream C. InA the upper end of the upright, A, there is secured, by a, fulcrunn-pin, a, a lever, D, the long ar'm of Awhich projects over the pole B, and has'a fish-line', E, attached to itat the point b, n'ea'r the upright, A, the fish-line passngsthrou'gh an eye, c, at the end of the long arm of the lever D, over apulley, d, in the outer end ofthe pole B, and then extending clown into thevater a suitable depth, the line being'vprovlded with the usual hooks and sinker. The upright, A, has a small bracket, e, attached 'to it near its jupper end, through which a pin,f, passes, and theshfline E is attached to the lever by uieansof a bent or V-shaped rod, g. The inner short .arm of the lever D has aweight, F, suspended' upon it, and inl' settingy the line the bent rod g is placed under the pin f, and the weight F thereby sustained. I y i i l i In the drawing, the line is represented set, or ready to operate in lhooking a fish w'benvthe latter seizes the bait. The sh, in 'grasping the bait, pulls the bent rod g olf vfrornthe pinfin 'bracket e, thereby liberating the lever D, and allowing the weight Fotol suddenly throw-up the long arm of' the lever D, and theline is jerked or drawn suddenly upward, and the sh hooked. c

This device may be constructed by alinost any-one of ordinary ability at avery. small cost.

l claim as new, and desire to secure by 'Letters Patent-v l The loaded or weighted lever D at;l the upper end of the upright, A, in connection with the horizontal pole B, line E, and the bentrod g and pin f, or their equivalents, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. Y l i THQ S. -B. McCAUGHAN Witnesses:

Guss. A. McCaUGHAN, R. B. STOVER. 

